Buoyancy-varying device.



Dm nu D.- F. ASBURY.

BUOYANCY VARYING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20,1 19115.

[HE CDLUMBIA PLANUURAPH C0.. WAsmNa'AoNA p. c.

D. FASBURY.

BUOYANCY VARYlNG DEVICE.

THE'COLUMBIA PLANGGRAPH C0 WASHINGTON. D. C I

D. F. ASBUHY.

BUOYANCY VARYING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED ocnzo, 1915.

1, 180,366. Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

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DOItSEY F. ASIBURY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNGR TO UNITED STATES ORDNANCE COMPANY, OF IPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A COR- Application filed October 20, 1915.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Donsny F. AsURY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of -lVashingtom in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buoyancy-Varying Devices, of which the following is a specification.

c My invention relates to buoyancy varying .matically release an element from the body under predetermined conditions to effect the variatlon 1n buoyancy. In cases where the buoyancy is to be transformed from a negative to positive the element released will possess a relatively high specific gravity Such as pelleted lead, while in cases where it is desired to transform the buoyancy of a body from positive to negative the element released will possess a relatively low specic gravity such as pelleted cork.

I shall disclose my invention in the best form known to me at present and as applied to an automobile torpedo and more particularly to a practice head for such torpedo for the purpose of transforming a negative buoyancy of the torpedo to a positive buoyancy under predetermined conditions; but it will be understood that it can also be applied to submarine boats, aeroplanes and airsh'ips, and that itis susceptible to improvement in forms, proportions, and details of construction and to desirable additions, by the exercise of ordinary mechanical skill and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

en my invention is applied to an automobile torpedo for the purpose of transforming a negative buoyancy to a positive buoyancy it serves, during practicefiring Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented apr. as, raie.

Serial No. 56,926.

in deep water, to prevent the loss of the torpedo by obviating the 'danger of sinking due to negative buoyancy; and also to encourage greater effort to recover a lost torpedo by dispelling the idea that it has sunk.

In the drawings chosen to illustrate my invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims, Figure l is a view in elevation of an automobile torpedo provided with a practice head embodying1 my invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged vertical section through the practice head of the torpedo; Fig. 3, a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a top view of the weight holding head; Fig. 5, a section on the line 55 of Fig. 2, with the weight holding head removed; and Fig. 6, a top view of the weight container.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, A indicates generally an automobile torpedo which includes a bodv portion 10 and a practice head, 11, the latter being secured to the body in lieu of the usual war head during practice iring. The body 10 contains the air flask, propelling mechanism, and gyroscopic control. all as is well known.

The practice head 1l comprises an outer shell 12 which carries a securing ring 13 at its inner end, said ring being attached directly to the body 10 by means of screws 14:. The head 11 further comprises an inner shell B disposed in spaced relation to the outer shell and forming` in conjunction with the latter a liquid reservoir 15. This and fastening' devices 22 are passed through the ring 21 and flanges 2O into the ring 13 to secure the inner and outer shells of the head in proper assembled relation. The intermediate portion 16 of the inner shell B is provided with opposite alined openings 23 and a tubular member 24 has its ends 'secured in these openings respectively, said member thus communicating at both ends with the reservoir 15. Disposed within the inner shell B and surrounding the member 24 is a filler of buoyant material C, preferably cork.

The outer shell 12 is provided with an opening 25 which alines with the `bore of the member 24 and is disposed on the keel side of the torpedo. Secured in this openinfr in any suitable manner is the open outer en of a weight container 26. This container extends into the bore of the member 24 and has its inner end closed by a head 27 provided with a plurality of openings 2S each of which is closed by a disk 29 secured to the inner side oi. the head by means of a suitable uniting material adapted to be ruptured by a predetermined pressure of the liquid in the reservoir for the purpose of permitting the liquid to enter the container 26.

Secured to the inner side of the head 27 is a collapsible diaphragm 30 which is protected by a surrounding casing 31 attached to the head and formed in any suitable manner.' The side wall of the casing 31 is provided with a plurality of slots 32 whereby the pressure of liquid in the container may be exerted upon the diaphragm. Mounted in the container 26 are bridge guides 33 and 34 and slidable in these guides is a rod 35, the upper end of which is secured to the lower end of the diaphragm 30, while the lower end of the rod carries a head36 slidable in a cup bearing 37 formed integral with the guide bridge 34. In order to releasably secure a loose weight in the container 26 I provide a head 38 having a central opening 39 and a transverse groove 40, the latter being disposed on the inner side of the head but opening through the outer side thereof at its ends. Pivotally mounted in the groove 40 are oppositely disposed gravity released latches 41 adapted, when in locked position, to engage a shoulder 42 on the inner wall o1c the container and thereby secure the head 38 against outward movement. In the assembled relation of the parts the head 36 is disposed between and engaged by the inner ends of the latches 41 and serves to hold said latches in locked position. By providing the opening 39 the interior of the container communicates constantly with the sea and therefore the diaphragm 30 is always subjected to the depth of the pressure of the sea. Disposed within the container 26 and normally supported by the head 38 1s a weight 43, the automatic discharge of which from the container 26 to the sea under predetermined conditions serves to transform the negative buoyancy of the torpedo to a positive buoyancy and thereby float the torpedo. The outer shell 12 carries the usual calcium carbid pot 44 which serves as a tracer in the well known manner.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assume first; that the torpedo is fired and sinks before completing its run. 'Ihe water pressure inside the container 26 will 1ncrease as the torpedo sinks and eventually the diaphragm 30 will collapse sufficiently to raise the rod 35 and disengage the head 36 from between the inner ends of the latches 42 when said latches will move to unlock position under the influence of gravity and permit the head 38 to fall away from the torpedo. The lead pellets of which the weight 43 is formed will then run out of the container 26 and by the rclease of this weight the negative buoyancy of the torpedo will be transformed to a positive buoyancy so that the torpedo will then iioat until recovered. Assume second; that the torpedo makes its run and hits the object at which it is fired. The blow of the head 11 against the object will -dent the shell 12 and increase the liquidV pressure in the reservoir 15. This increased liquid pressure will rupture the disks 29 and finally act upon the diaphragm 30 to effect therelease of the head 38 and the discharge of the shot forming the weight 43 when the torpedo will float until recovered. Assume third; that the torpedo makes its run but misses the object at which it is red. Unless its normal buoyancy is lost due to leakage no action ot' the device will take place and the head 11 will remain intact for another shot. However, if water should lea-k into the air flask or other portions of the body 10 and cause the torpedo to sink the action of the device will be the same as in the iirst instance.

In the application of the device as illustrated and described I attain a decided advantage by the use of a weight formed of a large number of pellets in that such a weight is certain to run out in case the torpedo is badly listed or in nearly vertical position.

Where I use the term material in the" claims to indicate the element released from the body under predetermined conditions I wish to include within the scope of said term any substance or element whether it be liquid, solid or gaseous.

What is claimed isz i 1. The combination with a body having a compartment therein opening to the eX- terior of the body, of a plurality of pellets releasably carried in the compartment, said pellets being arranged in multiple in all directions, and means for automatically releasing the pellets.

2. The combination with a body adapted to travel in water and haring' a compartment therein opening` to the exterior of the body, of a plurality of pellets releasably carried in the compartment, said pellets being arranged in multiple in all directions,

and means for automatically releasing said pellets.

3. The'combination with a body adapted to travel in Water, of a massedbody of. pellets releasably carried by the body, and

means for automatically releasing the, massed body of pellets When the body sinks to a redetermined depth. y

4. he combination with an automobile torpedo having a compartment therein opening to the sea, of a plurality of pellets releasably carried in the compartment, said pellets being arranged in multiple in all directions, and means for automatically releasing the pellets.

5. A torpedo practice head having a compartment opening to the sea, a plurality of pellets releasably carried in the compartment, said pellets being arranged in multiple in all directions, and means for automatically releasing the pellets.

6. A torpedo practice head having a comvpartment opening to the sea, a Weight in said compartment, a latch secured head detached from and normally holding the Weight against discharge from the practice head, and means for unlatching the head under predetermined conditions to permit the Weight to leave the practice head.

7. A torpedo practice head having a compartment opening to the sea, a weight .formed of separate pieces in said compartment, means normally holding the weight against discharge Jfrom the practice head, and means in said compartment operated by a predetermined depth pressure of the sea to release the Weight holding means and there by permit the Weight to leave the practice head.

8. A torpedo practice head having a compartment opening to the sea, a massed body of pellets releasably carried in the compartment, and means for automatically releasing the massed body of pellets.

,9. A torpedo practice head having a coinpartment opening to the sea, a massed body of pellets releasably carried in the compartment, and means operated by a predetermined "depth pressure of the sea to release said massed body of pellets.

10. The combination with a body having a compartment therein opening to the outside of the body, a pelleted Weight in said compartment, means normally holding the vWeight against discharge from the body, a

- collapsible diaphragm, and means operated by the collapse of the diaphragm to release the Weightholding means and thereby permit the Weight to leave the body.

11. The combination With a body having a compartment therein opening to the outside of the body, a Weight in said compartment, a latch secured head detached from and normally holding the Weight against discharge from the compartment, and

constantly communicate with the sea, a

Weight formed of separate pieces in said compartment, means normally holding the Weight against discharge from the torpedo, and means iii said compartment operated by a predetermined depth pressure of the sea to release the Weight holding means and thereby permit the weight to leave the torpedo.

14. The combination with a torpedo having a compartment opening into the sea, a head in the compartment, gravity released latches pivoted to the head, a shoulder on the wall of the compartment engaged by the latches to secure the head in place, a loose Weight in the compartment normally held against discharge from the torpedo under the influence of gravity by the head, a collapsible diaphragm in the compartment, and a rod carried by the diaphragm and engaging the inner ends of the latches to hold the latter in locked position, said rod being movable out of engagement with the latches when the diaphragm is collapsed to release said latches and permit the head and Weight to leave the torpedo under the iniuence of gravity. .A

15. The combination with a body, of material releasably carried by the body, and impact operated means for releasing the material.

16. The combination with a body adapted to travel in Water, of a Weight releasably carried by the body, and impact operated means for releasing the Weight.

17. The combination with a body adapted to travel in Water, of a loose weight supported within the body, releasable means normally holding the Weight against discharge from the body, and impact operated 19. The combination with a body, of a liquid reservoir, releasable material independentof the reservoir liquid carried by the body, and means operated by a predetermined pressure of the reservoir liquid to release the material, communication between said releasing means and the reservoir being normally closed and automatically opened by the direct pressure of the reservoir liquid.

20. The combination with an automobile torpedo, of a liquid reservoir, releasable material carried by the torpedo, and means operated by both the pressure of the reservoir liquid and by depth pressure of the sea to release said material.

21. In a practice head ttor torpedoes, the combination of material releasably carried by the head, and impact operated means for releasing the material.

22. In a practice head for torpedoes, the combination of a liquid reservoir, releasable material independent of the reservoir liquid carried by the head, and means operated by a predetermined pressure of the reservoir liquid to release the material.

23. In a practice head for torpedoes, the combination of a liquid reservoir, releasable material independent of the reservoir liquid Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of .Patents carried by the head, a diaphragm adapted to be collapsed by a predetermined pressure of the reservoir liquid, and means operated by the collapse of the diaphragm to release the material.

24E. A torpedo practice head having a compartment adapted to constantly communicate With the sea, a liquid reservoir, material releasably held in said compartment, a diaphragm in said compartment adapted to be collapsed by both pressure of the reser- Voir liquid and by depth pressure of the sea, and means operated by the collapse of the diaphragm to release the material.

25. A torpedo practice head having a compartment adapted to constantly communicate With the sea, a liquid reservoir, material releasably held in. said compartment, and means Within the compartment adapted to be operated by both pressure of the reser- Voir liquid and by depth pressure of the sea to release said material.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiiX my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

DORSEY F. ASBURY.

Vitnesses:

(l. G. EVANS, EDITH S'rownLL.

Washington, D. C. 

